Ukiah Police roundup: Traffic collision leads to drug arrest

A Branscomb man was arrested Wednesday for alleged drug possession after being involved in a traffic collision, the Ukiah Police Department reported.

According to the UPD, officers responded to the 700 block of South State Street at 8:35 p.m. Jan. 23 for a caller reporting that his car had been hit several blocks north of there in the 200 block of North State Street.

The victim told police the right front of his car had been struck by the left front of a car that was pulling away from the curb before heading south on State Street. He said he followed the other car for blocks before the other driver stopped in the 700 block of South State Street.

The victim reported that the other driver seemed confused and was delaying the exchange of information. Officers also reported that the suspect driver, identified as Taylor L. Wright, 34, of Branscomb, seemed "confused" and was "evasive regarding details of the accident."

Wright reportedly was driving on a suspended license and was on probation for controlled substance violations. While searching Wright's car, the officers reportedly located a pound of marijuana separated into "sampler" packs, a small amount of methamphetamine, a prescription narcotic and "numerous syringes and other devices used to inject drugs."

Wright was arrested on suspicion of possessing meth, more than an ounce of marijuana, a narcotic, drug paraphernalia and violating his probation.

Ukiah man suspected of hitting person with car

A Ukiah man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly hitting someone with his car, the Ukiah Police Department reported.

According to the UPD, officers responded to the 600 block of South State Street at 10:25 a.m. for a report of a person being hit by a car.

The victim told officers that he and a witness had contacted the suspect, Kevin E. Bodjack, 54, of Ukiah, in the parking lot of a motel while Bodjack was sitting in his car.

The victim said that Bodjack suddenly drove the vehicle in a circle, then straight at the victim, who jumped out of the way, but landed on the roof of the car and onto its windshield, breaking the glass.

Bodjack fled the area but was located at 11 a.m. by a Mendocino County sheriff's deputy in the 2600 block of North State Street and arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Ukiah woman suspected of driving through airport fence

A Ukiah woman was arrested Monday for allegedly driving through a fence outside the Ukiah Municipal Airport, the Ukiah Police Department reported.

According to the UPD, officers responded to Hastings Avenue at 8:10 a.m. Jan. 21 when it was reported that a vehicle had apparently "driven through, and basically underneath, both sections of the fence" bordering the north end of the airport.

Based on tire tracks at the scene, officers determined that a driver lost control while heading west on Hastings Avenue and drove through the fence on the airport side. The vehicle then turned around and drove through another section of the fence and back onto the road.

Based on the vehicle debris left at the scene, officers determined the car had been a blue Ford Mustang and later located a blue, 2000 Ford Mustang parked on Thompson Avenue that had damage, including "scratches along the hood and roof as if it were driven underneath a chainlink fence."

Officers located the owner of the vehicle, Caitlin N. Ray, 19, of Ukiah, and determined she had been drinking the night before and drove her Mustang through the fence. Ray was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run and felony vandalism.